Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1887-03-13
SPOKANE FALLS.
The Booming City Of East
ern Washington.
Ifs Present Prosperity aad Fufnre
Prexpseis msH Efs Citizens Jas
tiff TheIr Faith In Iaa Fafare-
Hepes and yheoE1eA-


Only sporadic OF tbat re present. rate o.
evslnsion 10 too rapid TO lass.
Indeed, whatever signs there are.
poIus 20 gaia ia volume Of business
and Ia population daring the coming
year larger than tie city bss made dar-
ing any preceding twelve months OF its
existenoe. There - scarcely = branoA
Of commercial activity that does not
confidently look forward 70 tie coming
season - likely ~ materially enhance
the mercantile fmportance OF the me
srsp5lis OF Eastern Washington. No
one concerned for the best interests Of
Spokane desires boom the present
rate Of pf0gFess, the outcome Of q sound
and substantial property. inspires al
hope for a remarkable futafe. 10 - true
that there is 10 some quarters belief
that the growth Of this community has
been abnormal, and that il has been
buils up largely on mining and real e.
tate excitement Of a speculative natuEe.
Il Is, hogeyer, q fact nos witbsat inter
est that-after the cessation Of the i'm
petus given 10 the development Of the
Northgest by toe completion OF the
Northern Paeific-while ia many Of
those communities which we're kesnly
sensitive 20 tbs Influences Of that period
Of forced and unnatural progression,
the collapse in the prices Of real estate
YES rapid and stteRded With 50 much
I financial disloeati0n, IN Spokane Fails
/ the shrinksgs IN the estimated worth
/ Of property was immateFial; although
/ IL Is tFas that for some time Alter tbs
/ subsidence of that temporary disturb
/ ance there was no material advance in
| the value OF realty.
Tsis mercastile phenomenon is easily
eIplicasie. Spokane's growth has been
propOTtiOnAte only TO the development
that tbs area, for Waicb this city 10 the
natural distFibutiVe center, has made.
OF course, there was period of depres-
sion, bat there were no such retF0gres-
sion and stsgnaney as have marked and
marred the progress Of 50 many cities,
tbs eFoEth Of Whieh has been forced
beyond the wants or capacity for imme-
diate development Of the contiguous
territory.
This city cannot retrogrsds; the ex-
tent and varied resource Of the region
for which 1t IL destined to be the CON
msreial emporium forbid that.
D her evidence of the firm foauda-
tion on which is built thu present pres
porous condition of Spokane is found
!, IN the state Of the real estate market
Valuations are not high relatively &c
the d cures at which such investments:
are held ia aRy of the busy towns oil
this Territory. Real property, is i.
true, 10 not absolutely cheap; for tbai
condition OF things could not and
should not exist IN any community im
mersed in business and alive TO the de
, velopment of its interests.
Slch are few Of the Indications oil
the substantial prosperity OF this city
on which those who have strong hopes
in It's future rely. Aud there are others
too.
The Spokane & Palouse City Rail
road commenced TO operate in August
lSs6. Trains are at present running C
Belmont, situated perhaps fifty miles t.
the south. The line will be contiausd
TO Genesee, Idaho, aud skis seven mile.
will thus be added 10 the present Length
J Of tracks.
Ibis road must not only aid materially
} in the development OF the most fertile
section of Washington Ierritory-the
PalOuse and Snake river vaileNs-but
must also make those watersheds more
accessible to the mercantile enterprise
of Spokane Falls.
Before the end OF the present year il
| - bAbDhklN AhAs htAE OAEkVh AbNAlHAJ q
; Navigation Company will construct and
! operate a line 90 this point. A Toute
has already been surveyed. The com
pletion by this corporation of this pro.
jsoted branch viii open auoIher artery
" communication With the productive
area of Southeastern Washington and
bring 80 Spokane the transportation
facilities of another trAnscontinsntal
line through this connection With tht
Oregon short Line.
Two roads are now projected to rur
into the Gear d'Alene Mining District
IL Is anticipated that tue development
OF that region during the Gaming SUN
msr will be such that the present means
Of communication will be insufficient
and unsatisfactory.
II constructed, the o. Il. Il N. Co
uill operate one road and the Northern
Pacific the other. the latter leaving the
track Of the Spokane 4 Palouse al
SpauRle, running thence in general
easterly direction, to the south OF Like
CBar dAlene. into Wardner. The con.
stTuction OF both reads, however, il
conditioned on the passage OF bills By
| Congress granting to eacn corporation
the right 70 pass over the Indian reser-
v4tion, through which lie the most
feasible routes. That the operation OF
these lines is important for Spokane
Falls goes without saying.
The past and prospective develop
ment Of the big Bend" renders among
the prob abilities OF the near future the
builiing OF line into that vast an I IN.
developed region. Another year will DO
much toward Undertaking. this prc jset,
for settlement and development there
is proceeding With remarkable rapidly.
Spokane has also hopss for transcsn-
tinenssi commune through the
CanadiAA Pacific. There are circum-
stances that render the realization OF
these bOpes probable. ANY line con.
.tructed With that Iufpose would ind
It's natural avenue through the Oolville
valley, = most promising mining dis
tric,. Ihopgh this region has been open
for prsspectors for bat two years ar a
Comparatively little prospecting has
beeh done, some valuable mining prop
critics have slIeady been brought out.
The development that shou q come
during the approaching summer from
the discovery of neS prospects would
hasten railway communication With
CslvilIe.
There IL. besides the Oregon Railway
4 Navigation Company and tie North
eTn Pacific, company prof aoted 60
bald In that direction. its iutea tion be
iue 10 farEIss feeder for the Canadian
Facdc.
The Chicago 4 Northwestern Rail
rosd, witch Is surely extending its line !
into that great region hitherto tributary
O. the Northern Pacific, will make
Hslsusl NC q rs terminal points within
tbs present year. That this corporation
viii content ltsslf With supplying the
market OF Western M0utsua With means
81 transportation when a region richer
10 natural resources lies almost within
sight - Dot probable. That 70 Will be-
come az energetic competitor for the
mmerce Of Eastern Washington Is A
rroaAhiliIy which seems mere IN aceaFd
wiih the active and far sighted policy Of
thst company
spakApe - Justified in sugp0sinR that
Il all bscouae terminus ~ this pros.
pectiyr trAuseol tInsntti route.
To TIE north % tbe S3Eiheru PAeifs
the :. Paul & Manitoba road Is huiId
ing = line toward tie Pacific Coast and
- thus coming into competition with
The former corporation for the trade Of
] A region As vet left entirely 10 tie tnsr-